Eagle Hill, Albany

By MICHAEL LISI Special to the Times Union

Published 12:01 am, Sunday, April 17, 2011

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This three-bedroom, 616-square-foot ranch house has one bathroom and a detached one-car garage. At 19 Garden Ave. in Albany, it's on the market for $134,800. (Michael Lisi / Special to the Times Union)

This three-bedroom, 616-square-foot ranch house has one bathroom and a detached one-car garage. At 19 Garden Ave. in Albany, it's on the market for $134,800. (Michael Lisi / Special to the Times Union)

Eagle Hill, Albany

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There's a lot to like about Albany's Eagle Hill neighborhood.

For starters, the historic neighborhood, which sits south of Western Avenue (State Route 20) between Tryon Street and State Route 85, is a great location if you work in Albany -- and particularly if you work in one of the buildings on the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus or at the University at Albany.

This is a vibrant, ethnically diverse, multi-generational neighborhood, where homeowners take pride in their homes and the area. The Eagle Hill Neighborhood Association (http://bit.ly/enutpB) is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Eagle Hill, promoting public safety and encouraging communication among homeowners.

More Information

Eagle Hill is a tranquil, pretty place with narrow, tree-lined streets and small city lots with a mix of housing styles. You'll find cottages, Cape Cods, brick ranches and raised ranches, split-level houses and bungalows. Most homes were built from the 1940s to the 1960s, and most of the dozen or so properties on the market here have been renovated.

This is a great neighborhood for young families and first-time home buyers; you can get a small, cute house here for less than $160,000. Larger homes run to the low $200,000s, depending on the extent of renovations, lot size and location; a number of dead-end streets in Eagle Hills back calm, shaded, wooded areas.

The area also offers easy access to public transportation and is close to synagogues, churches, and downtown eateries and nightlife.

Schools

Children living in Eagle Hill are enrolled in the City School District of Albany, attending Eagle Point Elementary School, William S. Hackett Middle School and Albany High School. There are other schooling options in Albany; call the district's office at 475-6000 for more information. According to the 2009-10 Report Card on the Schools, 7,979 students were enrolled in the district; 2,598 students were enrolled in Albany High School. That year, 63 percent of students who graduated earned a Regents diploma.

Commuting

Eagle Hill is bounded by the Harriman campus to the north, parts of Krumkill Road and the State Thruway (Interstate 87) to the south, an assortment of streets to the west (including Arch Avenue, North Bridge Drive and Wood Street), and Route 85 and the Buckingham Lake neighborhood to the east.

Nearly a dozen Eagle Hill streets connect with Western Avenue, which leads to State Campus Road -- the entrance to the Harriman campus. State Campus Road links with Route 85, which intersects with Interstate 90. An on-ramp to Route 85 is accessible via Daytona Avenue.

Route 20 west leads to an on-ramp to Interstate 87, also known as the Adirondack Northway. It continues west to Colonie and Schenectady. Western Avenue east leads to downtown Albany.

Aspen Circle connects with Krumkill Road, which heads west to Bethlehem and east to New Scotland Avenue and Albany. And Russell-Blessing Road southeast connects with Krumkill Road west, which leads to Voorheesville.

Shopping and recreation

The neighborhood borders Western Avenue, where restaurants, banks, gas stations, shopping and other services can easily be found.

A Stewart's shop is at the corner of Western Avenue and Russell-Blessing Road. A Price Chopper supermarket is at 1060 Madison Ave.; a Hannaford supermarket is at 900 Central Ave.

A Rite Aid pharmacy is at 1225 Western Ave., in the University Plaza. Stores in the strip mall include Uncommon Grounds and Hot Harry's Fresh Burritos. A CVS drugstore is across the street, at 1170 Western Ave. A Sunoco gas station is nearby, as is Fiorello's Bakery, at 1180 Western Ave.

Crossgates Mall, the Capital Region's largest mall, is about a 10-minute drive from Eagle Hill. The center has more than 250 restaurants and specialty shops. Crossgates Commons, on Washington Avenue Extension, has a Home Depot, Panera Bread and Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Buckingham Lake Park, at the intersection of Berkshire Boulevard and Colonial Avenue, has a walking trail, park benches, picnic tables and a playground for kids. Nearby recreational areas include Ridgefield, Woodlawn and St. Mary's parks.

McKownville Park, on Strawberry Lane in Guilderland, has a basketball court, playground, softball field and walking path.

The house has new windows, a new furnace, new siding and an updated kitchen, central air and a finished basement.

A three-bedroom, 1,008- square-foot brick ranch with one bathroom at 41 Hazelhurst Ave. is selling for $159,500, according to a listing by Coldwell Banker Prime Properties agent Robert Crevatas (http://bit.ly/g9hHvj). His phone numbers are 461-5559 and 640-4638. The MLS number for this property is 201113838.

The house has an upgraded kitchen and bathroom, a large living room, a Florida room, a full basement, a fenced backyard with a patio, a new electric hot water tank and newer electrical service and furnace.

Taxes

Homeowners pay $13.22 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for Albany city and Albany County property taxes. School taxes are $20.49 per $1,000. Properties in Albany are assessed at 99 percent of actual value.